


In Shining Armour

by cherrybina



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:23:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybina/pseuds/cherrybina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin overhears some nasty things about himself. Arthur is not pleased.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Shining Armour

Merlin sighed and set down the shovel, wiping a hand across his sweaty brow. Mucking out Arthur's stables was by far his least favourite chore, and it was all the more unpleasant on such a stifling hot summer day. His shirt clung uncomfortably to his skin, and the smell of horse dung was sharp and pungent in his nose.

Arthur would not be back from riding exercises with the knights until evening, and Merlin had nothing left to do except finish the stables. He decided there was no sense in rushing, especially in the heat, so he pulled at his shirt, trying to get some air between it and his sticky skin, and flopped down on a nearby bale of hay.

Merlin leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to pretend he could feel the cool water of a lake on his skin, or the biting chill of a winter day with snowflakes in the air. The sound of voices carried through one of the adjoining stalls, but he didn't pay much attention until he heard something that made him sit up straight in surprise.

"…I don't understand how he's even managed to keep his place as the prince's servant. He knows nothing about how to take care of armour, and he can barely manage to carry a helmet and a sword at the same time without dropping one or the other. Not only that, but Arthur is constantly going on about how bloody useless he is."

With a sickening jolt of realisation, Merlin knew they were talking about _him_. He stayed frozen to the spot on the hay as the conversation continued.

A different voice laughed and then added, "well I should think he'll be in trouble when the prince finally decides his useless servant's not worth keeping around. The ladies don't think much of him. The girls in the kitchen are always laughing about his ridiculous ears and bony legs. Also, I think he's a bit dim. That's what I've heard, anyway."

"Sounds like a real winner, that one," said the first voice, and more spiteful laughter followed.

Merlin's face burned in anger and shame as the words sunk in. His stomach churned, and before he could hear another word, he stood up on shaky legs and walked toward the door. He glanced into the other stall as he passed, and two men he recognised looked up in surprise as he went by.

Merlin still felt sick with embarrassment after he got back to his room. He took a bath to wash away all of the filth and sweat from the afternoon, hoping that would make him feel a little better, but the more time he had alone with his thoughts, the worse he felt. The words replayed over and over in his head and he tried to make sense of them, but everything just got more and more jumbled until he didn't know what to think anymore.

When he arrived at Arthur's chambers later, Arthur was already back from his excursion with the knights. He was flushed from a day of riding, and he started to say something but stopped when Merlin walked into the room staring at the floor, his shoulders hunched low.

"Why are you moping, Merlin?"

Merlin thought about denying it but realised that Arthur would never believe him, so instead he just shrugged and glanced away, unable to look Arthur in the eye. "I just didn't have a very good day, that's all."

"And why's that?" Arthur asked, sounding curious.

Merlin sighed with resignation, knowing it was useless to stall since Arthur would wheedle it out of him eventually. "I heard some things about me while I was cleaning out your stables."

"What things?" Arthur asked, and Merlin could tell he was confused as to where the conversation was going.

Merlin finally met Arthur's gaze and let it all come out in a rush. "Some people can't understand why you haven't sacked me yet because I'm nothing but a skinny, useless, incompetent waste of a servant, and no one will ever have me because I have stupid ears."

"Because you have… what?"

"Don't make me say it again," Merlin said miserably.

"And someone told you this?" Arthur asked, still looking confused.

"No, I overheard it. People were just gossiping, I guess."

Arthur narrowed his eyes and crossed the room to where Merlin was standing. "_Who_ was gossiping?"

Merlin shrugged. "It was Edgar, the one who works at the stables. And his friend who's always hanging about with him. Thomas."

"Just forget it, okay? They're idiots." Arthur wrapped his hands around Merlin's waist and tugged him close, but Merlin turned his face away.

"You're not going to kiss me?" Arthur asked incredulously.

Arthur's hands felt warm and strong on Merlin's hips, but Merlin shook his head, resolute.

Arthur sighed as he took a step back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Merlin," he said, his voice strained, "would you please tell me what's really going on."

"Everything they said was true, wasn't it?" Merlin started ticking off on his fingers. "I still only manage to get your armour right some of the time, I drop things more often than I don't, you really _do_ think I'm useless — "

"When have I ever said that?" Arthur asked indignantly.

Merlin looked at him with disbelief until Arthur sighed. "Okay, fine. It's possible I said that."

"And," Merlin continued, the thoughts that had been weighing on him all afternoon spilling out in a rush. "I _am_ too skinny, and my ears really _do_ stick out!"

"Merlin," Arthur started, clearly struggling to find the right words. "It's not — I mean you're not…"

Merlin interrupted him, too wrung out to dance around the issue any longer. "Why am I your servant?"

Arthur went very still. "You're my servant because my father declared it. You know that."

"Yes, but why am I _still_ your servant? It's not because I'm very good at my job, yeah? You have every reason to get rid of me but you haven't."

Arthur's eyes widened in realisation. "You think I only keep you around because — because I like having you in my bed. That's it, isn't it?"

"No. Yes. Well, is it?"

"How did this conversation suddenly become about me?"

"Isn't it always about you, Arthur?"

"What? Merlin — I don't even…" Arthur looked so completely baffled that Merlin softened a little.

Merlin felt some of his anger and hurt dissolve and he stepped closer, reaching for Arthur's hands and bringing them back to his own waist. "Why am I here, Arthur?" he asked softly, stroking his fingers over the backs of Arthur's hands.

Arthur looked at him for so long that he wasn't sure he was going to answer, but just when Merlin was ready to give up, Arthur spoke: "I like that you always bring me the kind of bread I like best even if it means you have to wait around in the kitchens so long my breakfast is late. I like that you spend so much time polishing my armour that it makes your fingers cramp, even if you do drop it in the dirt later." Arthur stopped and swallowed, then tilted his face until their foreheads were touching. "I like it better when you're here than when you're not."

Merlin felt his face flush, the heat spreading down his neck, and everything that was so unpleasant about his day didn't seem to matter anymore. He hooked his hands around the back of Arthur neck and shifted closer so their chests were pressed against each other.

"Also," Arthur said, his voice low in Merlin's ear as he moved his mouth to Merlin's neck. "I like your ears."

"I like you too, Arthur," Merlin said, twisting his fingers in Arthur's hair and angling his face for a kiss.

Later, when Merlin was spread out on his back in Arthur's bed and Arthur's lips were wrapped tight around the base of his cock, Merlin elaborated on the many ways in which he really, truly liked Arthur in vivid detail and with great enthusiasm.

***

The next day, Arthur sent Merlin down to the stables to get two horses ready, but refused to say where they were going.

As Merlin adjusted the saddle on Arthur's horse, he heard the sound of raised voices, one of which he easily recognised as Arthur's. He secured the horse and hurried out to see what was going on.

Edgar and Thomas knelt on the filthy floor of the stables while Arthur glared down at them.

"Do you realise," he said in his most imperious voice, "that the saddle oil you're using as if it's water belongs to me personally? This is, in fact, royal saddle oil. Not that I expect _you_ to understand the value of such things, but it is extremely rare and difficult to obtain, and therefore not meant to be used by anyone except _my_ servant for _my_ saddle."

"Yes, sire," Edgar stammered. "I didn't realise it was yours. I just assumed it was the same as the rest. It won't happen again."

"I could throw you in the dungeons," Arthur said with disgust.

"For what?" Thomas squawked.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and said in a low, frightening voice, "For anything I want. And don't you _ever_ forget it."

Merlin cleared his throat and Arthur looked over at him, raising one eyebrow ever so slightly, and Merlin didn't even try to keep from grinning.

Arthur turned back and glared down at Edgar and Thomas one last time. "Now I suggest that you refrain from doing anything else that might upset me, or I can guarantee your lives will be very unpleasant. Is that understood?"

Merlin put a hand over his mouth, covering his smile, as they tripped all over their words assuring Arthur that nothing of the sort would ever happen again.

Without another word, Arthur turned on his heel and walked toward where Merlin stood at the door to the stall. Merlin waited until Arthur passed him, then glanced down at Edgar and Thomas, looking miserable where they knelt. He allowed himself a brief moment to gloat inside, and then he followed after Arthur.

Arthur remained silent as he tied the laces on the saddlebags.

"Thank you," Merlin said softy.

"Obviously I have no idea what you're talking about," Arthur muttered, not looking up from what he was doing, but the corners of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile.

***

It wasn't until Merlin straddled Arthur's thighs beside a roaring fire deep in the woods that he realised they weren't actually going anywhere.

"You know," Merlin said, breathless, as he sank down on Arthur's cock. "Sometimes I think it would help if we talk about stuff — us."

"I already told you I liked your ears." Arthur groaned as Merlin shifted and slid all the way down. "I like — I like you. And this."

Merlin rolled his hips, grinding down hard, and sighed happily when Arthur moaned and clutched at his thighs. "Yeah. This is nice."

They moved together, slow and heated, there in the woods beside the fire, a world away from everyone with nowhere to be except together.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] In Shining Armour / written by cherrybina](https://archiveofourown.org/works/226260) by [EosRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EosRose/pseuds/EosRose)




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